Compliant pins are slightly elastically deformable in a radial direction. When press-fit portions of the compliant pins are pressed into compliant pin receiving apertures of a circuit board, because the compliant pin receiving apertures have slightly smaller diameters than the compliant pins, the compliant pins are fixed to the circuit board due to elastic deformation. Favorable electrical connections can thereby be established without soldering.
Inner surfaces of the compliant pin receiving apertures are generally plated with a material, such as copper. The compliant pins are generally plated across their entire surfaces with a material, such as tin. Because the plating of the compliant pins is usually softer than the plating of the compliant pin receiving apertures, shavings of the plating of the compliant pins are generally generated during press-fitting of the compliant pins into the compliant pin receiving apertures due to frictional contact between the compliant pins and the compliant pin receiving apertures. The shavings may be scattered on the circuit board and therefore there is a possibility that the scattered shavings will short printed circuits on the circuit board or electronic components provided thereon.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6(1994)-013735 discloses a technique for solving the above-mentioned problem. In this technique, a plastic film is laminated on both sides of a circuit board, and the compliant pin is then press-fitted into compliant pin receiving apertures of the circuit board. When the compliant pin is press-fit, the compliant pin penetrates the plastic film, and the plastic film surrounds the compliant pin in a state of close contact. The shavings generated during insertion are thereby sealed within the compliant pin receiving apertures of the circuit board and scattering of the shavings on the circuit board is prevented.
In another known technique, a damp proofing coating for protecting electronic components is provided on both sides of a circuit board into which compliant pins are press-fit. During press-fitting, the shavings are coated along with the electronic components so that there is no possibility that the shavings will scatter. However, the coating is not necessarily administered for all circuit boards.
Both of these techniques have the disadvantage that they require an addition component and an additional manufacturing step. In the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6(1994)-013735, the plastic film for laminating the circuit board is a separate component and a laminating step is required. In the other technique, additional coating materials and a coating step is required. Thus, the costs of manufacturing are increased and the manufacturing process is more difficult in the above-mentioned techniques.